Thousands participated to traditional trade-union march on 1st of May in Helsinki. Broadly speaking, the slogans commented on international issues as well as the on-going negotiations to form a new government, including slogans against NATO, climate change, far-right and cuts.
Also, a small Maoist contingent participated with main slogan “Everything without power is illusion!” and holding high the red flag with hammer and sickle as well as the flag of the International Communist League (ICL). The contingent also distributed the May Day statement of the ICL. The contingent drew a lot of positive attention, including enthusiastic comments for the use of the hammer and sickle (the Maoists were, yet again, the only ones, who proudly carried the hammer and sickle). Combative shouts – such as “Long live International Communist League!”, “Viva Marx! Viva Lenin! Viva Mao Tse-tung!”, “International solidarity! Proletarian revolution!” and “No to Marin, no to Orpo, no to Purra and others! Only revolution leads to freedom!” (Marin, Orpo and Purra are leaders of different reactionary parties: Social-Democrats, National Coalition Party and the Finns Party, respectively) – was to some extent echoed by the masses, and the desperate opportunists tried to cover them with their pacifist shouts.
The May Day statement of the ICL was distributed in the demonstration
Posters and leaflets for the 1st of May had been distributed across Helsinki